Lehigh Acres man sentenced in two cases of scheme to defraud

A Lehigh Acres man was sentenced Tuesday for two cases involving the charge of scheme to defraud. 

Robert John Anderson, 52, was sentenced this morning for both cases handled by Assistant State Attorney James Miller of the Economic Crimes Unit. 

Anderson’s trial was scheduled to begin when he accepted a plea agreement, as prospective jurors made their way to the courtroom.  

In 2015, Anderson worked as an independent contractor at a real estate company doing computer work. While working there, he took money from the company’s accounts by having it electronically debited to pay for his personal utilities, which was not authorized.  

Anderson pled no contest to scheme to defraud and was sentenced to one year in the Lee County Jail, followed by four years of probation for that case. He was ordered to pay almost $5,000 in restitution to the victim and is prohibited from having contact with him.  

Anderson also pled no contest to scheme to defraud for a separate check kiting case from 2017.

Check kiting is when someone uses multiple accounts at different banks to make use of nonexistent or insufficient funds in an account. It fraudulently increases the balance of an account in order to allow written checks that would otherwise bounce to withdraw.  

Anderson opened an account at one bank and made several deposits from another bank’s account he had closed. Though the active account only had $1.39 in it, he withdrew $5,000.  

On this case he was sentenced to one year in jail followed by four years of probation. He must also pay more than $5,000 in restitution to the bank he defrauded. This sentence will be served concurrent to the other.